Grinding-mill



(No Model.)

s. 0., SCHOFIELD.

GRINDING MILL.

Nb. 292.25 Patented Jan. 22, 1884.

xJi/m/ Y WITNESSES.-

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SILAS C. SGHOFIELD, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

GRINDING-NULL;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,258, dated January 22, 1884.

Application filed May 18, 1883. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAS O. SoHorrELD, a resident of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grinding'Mills; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in grinding-mills of the class adapted to grind small grain or shelled corn. and is fully described and claimed in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan of the mill,with meal-box removed; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a central vertical section of the mill through line 00 1 Figs. 1 and 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a top plan of the lower grindingburr I, with plate 0 attached to upper face; Fig. 5, a bottom plan of same, showing scraper K thereto attached.

In these views A A are two converging timbers joined at one end, where they are connected by a suitable bolt, which serves to fasten to them a metal loop, Z, by means of which they may be fastened to the ground or drawn from one place to another.

On thetimbers A A are bolted .two crosstimbers, B B, the whole forming a triangular frame-work to support the mill. Immediately above this frame-work is a ring, D, consisting of two integrally-formed annular flanges, one horizontal, the other vertical, and provided with three radiating arms, 0 0, two of which are bolted to the upper face of the cross-piece B, while the third isbolted to the upper face of-the cross-piece B. The two arms bolted to the cross-piece B are plain bars of metal; but

. -the third arm attached to the cross-piece B is expanded and bored horizontally for two parallel shafts, R B, one of which, R, extends diametrically across the base of the mill, and is journaled at its opposite end in the bearing U, attached to the cross-piece B, while the other, R, extends outward from the base of the mill and constitutes a tumbling-rod, by means of which power is communicated to other machinery when desired. Pinions S S are mounted on the shafts RR, respectively, just outside the bearings in the plate 0, and mesh with each other.

. Upon the ring D rests a master-wheel, E, having a circular central opening, which fits about the vertical flange of the ring D, heretofore described, the ring forming a bearing or'shaft upon which the master-wheel rotates freely. The wheel has a beveled toothed rim on its lower face, and meshes with a beveled gear, T, mounted on the shaft R, just inside the bearing of the shaft in the arm 0.

Directly over the center of the master-wheel V is a hollow vertical standard, F, held in place by three radial arms, G, whichare formed integrally with it. Each of these arms has a circular hole near its outer end, which fits about a hub or boss, H, on the upper surface of the master-wheel. These bosses prevent lateral movement of the arms G, and two converging sweeps, N N, which sit down over the bosses and rest upon the arms G, are secured in place by bolts passing through them and into the bosses,'and prevent vertical movement of the arms. These sweeps also provide a means of applying power to the masterwheel.

At the upper end of the vertical standard F is a pan, I, formed integrally with it, and provided with a disch upper edge of the sa 1 sts the grinding-shell M, which is rigidly attached to the pan by bolts L, Fig. 1. A hopper of ordinfirvy form is attached to and rests upon the shell I.

Within the hollow standard F is a vertical shaft, V, which rotates freely in the standard and is provided at its lower end with a mitergear, T, formed integrally with or rigidly attached to it. This miter-gear meshes with a similar gear, T, mounted rigidly on the horizontal shaft R, Figs. 2 and 3, so that the rotation of the shaft R rotates the vertical shaft V. The upper end of the shaft V is squared and enters a square central hole, Q, in the grindingcone 1?, the shaft being somewhat smaller than the hole, to allow play of the cone on the shaft.

On the upper surface of the cone? is bolted ge-spout, J, and on the end of the shaft V. This set-screw is provided at its upper'end with a loop, hand'wheel, or other equivalent device, by means of which it may be readily turned; and it is evident that by turning the screw the cone may be either raised or lowered. The raising of the cone causes the mill to grind finer, while the lowering of the cone separates the grindingsurfaces and causes the mill to grind coarser. In any position of the cone and shell the weight of the cone is balanced on the point of the set-screw resting on the top of the vertical shaft V and allows perfect adjustment of the grinding-surfaces. The cone 1 is provided with a scraper, K, on its lower surface for the purpose of bringing the meal to the discharge spout J. r

The operation ofthe mill is as follows: Grain being placed in the hopper, power is applied to the master-whcel by means of the sweeps. The master-wheel in its rotation carries with it the standard I, pan I, shell M, and hopper attached to the shell, and at the same time rotates the bevel-gearT, shaft It, and miter-gear T. The miter-gear T, meshing with the miter-gear T, rotates the latter, and with it the shaft Y and grinding-cone I, the motion of the cone being in a reverse direction to that of the shell, and its speed of rotation being much higherthan that of the shell. The corn in the hopper passes downward between the grindingd'aces of the cone and shell, is ground, and falls into the pan I. The rotation of the scraper K brings it to the discharge-spout J,

where it passes out. A. meatbox, c, is attached to the upper surface of the sweeps and rotates with them, receiving the meal as it falls from the spout J.

In order to readily remove the meal while the mill is in motion I have found it convenient to set a measure under the spout J in the meal-box, removing it as often as filled and substituting an empty one for it.

During the process of grinding, the cone I may be raised or lowered by means of the setscrew IV, to regulate the fineness of the meal.

It is evident that the rotation of the shaft It rotates the gear-wheel S, which is rigidly mounted on the shaft, and as the gear-wheel S meshes with the pinion S on the shaft 1%, the latter shaft is also rotated and at a speed greater than that of the shaft R.

hen the machine is used as a horse-power, the outer end of the shaft It is connected by suitable means with such machinery as it is desired to run, and while it is run as a horsepower the mill may be run empty, or a part of the power may be used in grinding, and the remainder applied to other machinery through the shaft R.

The plate 0 and cone 1 may be formed integrally instead of in two pieces, as shown; but I have found it more convenient to make the cone of hard or white iron and the plate of soft gray iron.

The square upper portion of the shaft Y may be made to fitclosely in the opening at the center of the cone I, if desired; but I consider it preferable to make it loose in order to allow play, as already stated.

I am aware that many of the features of this mill are old and in common use, and I lay no claim to any novelty in it,except as specifically set forth in the following claims, to wit:

1. In a grindinganill, the combination of a sweep-actuated master-wheel, a hollow central vertical standard above said master-wheel and rigidly attached to it, a grinding-shell rigidly attached to the upper end of said standard, a vertical shaft rotating freely within said standard, a grinding-cone connected with said shaft at its upper end and rotated by and with it, and gearing connecting said master-wheel and vertical shaft, whereby the rotation of the master-wheel rotates the vertical shaft in an opposite direction, snbstan- ,tially as shown and described,and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the master-wheel IE, hollow vertical standard F, rigidly attached thereto,shell1lf, rigidly attached to said stand ard, shaft V, rotating freely in said standard, cone 1, means connecting said cone I and shaft Y, and adapted to impart the rotary motion of the shaft to the cone, and at the same time permit rocking motion of the cone, and gearing eo n nectin g the master-wheel and vertical shaft, whereby the rotation of the master-wheel produccs reverse rotary motion of the shaft, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the standard-F, shell M, rigidly attached thereto, shaft V, rotating freely within said standard, and squared at its upper end, the cone 1, provided withacentral opening fitting loosely over said squared shaft,and theset-serew\Vsustainingtheweight of said cone, and balancing the same on its point to permit adjustment of the grindingfaccs of the cone and shell, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SILAS (l. SGHOFIELD.

\Vitnesscs:

R. H. WiLEs, O. TAYLOR. 

